South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is facing declining approval ratings and political tensions, prompting him to ramp up his activity on social media platform X to communicate more directly with the public. A recent national poll reported a drop in Lee’s approval rating by 2.2 percentage points to 35.2%, while disapproval climbed to 61.4%. The survey underscored falling support from centrist, conservative, and progressive voters, highlighting growing dissatisfaction with government policies and ongoing political disputes.
Several issues have contributed to the president’s waning popularity, including controversial personnel appointments, concerns over judicial independence, challenges in national security, and rising housing costs in the Seoul metropolitan area. Additionally, disagreements over prosecution reform have created friction within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, further complicating the political landscape.
In response to these challenges, President Lee has significantly increased his presence on X, aiming to clarify government policies, address political controversies, and showcase his administration’s efforts. His social media activity surged from 37 posts in August to 116 in September, with 65 more posts recorded in October as of the reporting date. Lee has also committed to enhancing direct engagement through press conferences, public debates, field visits, and livestreams.
Despite these efforts, some of Lee’s online remarks and personnel decisions have sparked criticism, including disagreements with supporters over the direction of prosecution reform. Opposition leaders have expressed skepticism about whether Lee’s social media strategy effectively addresses broader public concerns or merely caters to his political base.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has also experienced a decline in public support, dropping seven percentage points to 35.5% in a separate poll. Conversely, the main opposition People Power Party saw an increase in support to 41.3%, reversing previous standings, though the difference remains within the survey’s margin of error.
As President Lee seeks to rebuild public trust amid disputes over economic policy, national security, and judicial independence, the effectiveness of his increased social media engagement remains a topic of debate. Whether this strategy will succeed in reversing his declining approval ratings is yet to be seen.